Just go for a run

It’s been a month since I announced the resumption of regular running. So far the job has just been to build a steady platform for subsequent training. For me, this is about establishing a routine practice more than meeting any particular performance goals. The greatest challenge is avoiding unplanned lapses; based on past experience, breaking routine for as few as two days sets a negative precedent that can unravel my previous efforts. My guiding principle to counteract this risk is that it doesn’t matter how far or how fast I run, as long as I do go for a run.

It works. The February graph above is from MapMyRun (modified to mark peak distances). I haven’t stuck to a six-days-on/one-day-off schedule perfectly, but neither have I let any exceptions grow into longer interruptions. Once I actually get out and start moving, any reluctance burns off like a morning fog, often to be replaced by delight in the experience of stomping around in the rain or working up a sub-zero sweat. Reasons not to run are legion, but none of them matter once you do.

Posted on Tuesday, February 26th, 2013. Tags: running.